Application User Interface with Navigation Bar Showing Current and Prior Application Contexts

• US 20070157094A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas, Van Os, Marcel, Forstall, Scott, Anzures, Freddy, Lemay, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/717
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A graphical user interface for a portable electronic device includes an application display region that displays a current application context of an application and a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region. The navigation bar includes two horizontally adjacent regions, comprising a current context region for displaying an indicator of the current application context and a prior context region for displaying an indicator of an application context preceding the current application context. The application display region simulates shifting of the application display in a first direction upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, and simulates shifting of the application display in a second direction, opposite the first direction, upon detecting user selection of an application context different from the current application context and the prior application context.

Claims

1. A method of navigating between application contexts in a portable device, comprising:

displaying a current application context of an application in an application display region of a display;

displaying a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, the navigation bar including at least three horizontally adjacent regions, comprising a current context region for displaying an indicator of a second application context comprising the current application context, a prior context region for displaying an indicator of a first application context comprising an application context preceding the second application context, and a link region for displaying an indicator of a third application context;

upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, shifting operation of the portable device to the first application context, including displaying in the prior context region of the navigation bar a fourth application context comprising an application context of the application, if any, that preceded the first application context; and

upon detecting user selection of the link region, shifting operation of the portable device to the third application context, including displaying in the prior context region of the navigation bar an indicator of the second application context.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein shifting operation of the portable device includes simulating shifting of the application display region in a first direction upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, and includes simulating shifting of the application display region in a second direction, opposite the first direction, upon detecting user selection of the link region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein shifting operation of the portable device includes simulating shifting of the application display region to the right upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, and includes simulating shifting of the application display region to the left upon detecting user selection of the link region.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying in the prior context region a first label corresponding to the first application context;

displaying in the current context region a second label corresponding to the second application context; and

displaying in the link region a third label corresponding to the third application context.

5. A method of navigating between application contexts in a portable device that includes a menu button that is distinct from a display, comprising:

displaying a current application context of a first application in an application display region of the display;

displaying a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, the navigation bar including at least three horizontally adjacent regions, including a prior context region and a link region;

upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, shifting operation of the portable device to a first application context within the first application;

upon detecting user selection of the link region, shifting operation of the portable device to a second application context within the first application; and

upon detecting user selection of the menu button, shifting operation of the portable device to an application selection context for selecting any of a predefined set of applications, including a plurality of second applications.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first application context comprises an application context preceding the current application context.

7. A method of navigating between application contexts in a portable device, comprising:

displaying a current application context of an application in an application display region of a display;

displaying a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, including displaying in the navigation bar a list of indicators of recently navigated application contexts of the application including an indicator of the current application context;

upon detecting user navigation to a first application context corresponding to an application context preceding the current application context;

shifting operation of the portable device to the first application context, including removing the indicator of the current application context from the list; and

upon detecting user navigation of a second application context corresponding to an application context succeeding the current application context, shifting operation of the portable device to the second application context, including appending an indicator of the second application context to the list and displaying the indicator of the second application context in the navigation bar.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display;

memory;

an application stored in the memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more modules comprising instructions;

to display a current application context of the application in an application display region of the display;

to display a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, the navigation bar including at least three horizontally adjacent regions, comprising a current context region for displaying an indicator of a second application context comprising the current application context, a prior context region for displaying an indicator of a first application context comprising an application context preceding the second application context, and a link region for displaying an indicator of a third application context;

to shift operation of the portable device, upon user selection of the prior context region, to the first application context, including instructions to display in the prior context region of the navigation bar a fourth application context comprising an application context of the application, if any, that preceded the first application context; and

to shift operation of the portable device, upon detecting user selection of the link region, to the third application context, including instructions to display in the prior context region of the navigation bar an indicator of the second application context.

9. The portable device of claim 8, further including instructions:

to simulate shifting of the application display region in a first direction upon detecting user selection of the prior context region; and

to simulate shifting of the application display region in a second direction, opposite the first direction, upon detecting user selection of the link region.

10. The portable device of claim 8, further including instructions:

to simulate shifting of the application display region to the right upon detecting user selection of the prior context region; and

to simulate shifting of the application display region to the left upon detecting user selection of the link region.

11. The portable device of claim 8, further comprising instructions:

to display in the prior context region a first label corresponding to the first application context;

to display in the current context region a second label corresponding to the second application context; and

to display in the link region a third label corresponding to the third application context.

12. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display;

memory;

a plurality of applications stored in the memory, including a first application and a plurality of second applications;

a menu button;

one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more modules comprising instructions;

to display a current application context of the first application in an application display region of a display;

to display a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, the navigation bar including at least three horizontally adjacent regions, including a prior context region and a link region;

to shift operation of the portable device, upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, to a first application context within the first application;

to shift operation of the portable device, upon detecting user selection of the link region, to a second application context within the first application; and

to shift operation of the portable device, upon detecting user selection of the menu button, to an application selection context for selecting any of a predefined set of applications, including a plurality of second applications.

13. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display;

memory;

an application stored in the memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more modules comprising instructions;

to display a current application context of the application in an application display region of a display;

to display a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, including instructions to display in the navigation bar a list of indicators of recently navigated application contexts of the application including an indicator of the current application context;

to shift operation of the portable device, upon detecting user navigation to a first application context corresponding to an application context preceding the current application context, to the first application context, including instructions to remove the indicator of the current application context from the list; and

to shift operation of the portable device, upon detecting user navigation of a second application context corresponding to an application context succeeding the current application context, to the second application context, including instructions to append an indicator of the second application context to the list and displaying the indicator of the second application context in the navigation bar.

14. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

displaying a current application context of an application in an application display region of a display;

displaying a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, the navigation bar including at least three horizontally adjacent regions, comprising a current context region for displaying an indicator of a second application context comprising the current application context, a prior context region for displaying an indicator of a first application context comprising an application context preceding the second application context, and a link region for displaying an indicator of a third application context;

upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, shifting operation of the portable device to the first application context, including displaying in the prior context region of the navigation bar a fourth application context comprising an application context of the application, if any, that preceded the first application context; and

upon detecting user selection of the link region, shifting operation of the portable device to the third application context, including displaying in the prior context region of the navigation bar an indicator of the second application context.

15. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

displaying a current application context of a first application in an application display region of a display;

displaying a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, the navigation bar including at least three horizontally adjacent regions, including a prior context region and a link region;

upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, shifting operation of the portable device to a first application context within the first application;

upon detecting user selection of the link region, shifting operation of the portable device to a second application context within the first application; and

upon detecting user selection of the menu button, shifting operation of the portable device to an application selection context for selecting any of a predefined set of applications, including a plurality of second applications.

16. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

displaying a current application context of an application in an application display region of a display;

displaying a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, including displaying in the navigation bar a list of indicators of recently navigated application contexts of the application including an indicator of the current application context;

upon detecting user navigation to a first application context corresponding to an application context preceding the current application context;

shifting operation of the portable device to the first application context, including removing the indicator of the current application context from the list; and

upon detecting user navigation of a second application context corresponding to an application context succeeding the current application context, shifting operation of the portable device to the second application context, including appending an indicator of the second application context to the list and displaying the indicator of the second application context in the navigation bar.

17. A graphical user interface for a portable electronic device, comprising:

an application display region that displays a current application context of an application;

a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, the navigation bar including at least three horizontally adjacent regions, comprising a current context region for displaying an indicator of the current application context, a prior context region for displaying an indicator of an application context preceding the current application context, and a link region for displaying an indicator of a third application context;

wherein the application display region simulates shifting of the application display in a first direction upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, and simulates shifting of the application display in a second direction, opposite the first direction, upon detecting user selection of the link region.

18. A graphical user interface for a portable electronic device, comprising:

an application display region that displays a current application context of an application;

a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region, the navigation bar including two horizontally adjacent regions, comprising a current context region for displaying an indicator of the current application context and a prior context region for displaying an indicator of an application context preceding the current application context;

wherein the application display region simulates shifting of the application display in a first direction upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, and simulates shifting of the application display in a second direction, opposite the first direction, upon detecting user selection of an application context different from the current application context and the prior application context.